When the shoe fits

The Bata Shoe Museum has shown great skill in putting itself into its young visitors' shoes to get their attention. The All About Shoes semi-permanent exhibition reviews the history of shoes, from prehistoric times until the present, using many props: art reproduction, informative text, mannequins, lighting effects and fascinating artefacts. Children might not fully appreciate the historic references but they will react to the variety of footwear displayed here. Last time we visited, we could see astronaut training boots, chestnut crushing clogs, Dutch smugglers' clogs designed to create a footprint! We then moved on to the Footprints on the World Stage display, showcasing some famous footwear: one of the Beatles' ankle boots, Marilyn Monroe's red pumps, Elton John's boots and, more recently, Justin Bieber’s sneakers. Kids really dig the size 20 EEE Reebok shoes of basketball player Shaquille O'Neil. Three other galleries feature special exhibitions with diverse themes. In the past years, we've seen collections of dance shoes, athletic footwear and the evolution of fashionable footwear, among others.